The first near-earth orbit Commercial Space Station

Orbital Technologies plans to launch and manage the world’s first Commercial Space Station (CSS), which will provide private companies with access to manned space flights at near-earth orbit.

The Commercial Space Station is an ultramodern modified spacecraft.

The station will be capable of hosting a crew of up to seven people for durations of varying lengths.

The station will be able to accommodate various kinds of expeditions each year - both existing ones as well as those which could emerge over the course of the further development of space projects. The duration of these missions aboard the station would range from three days to six months.

The hope is for the new station to serve as a backup to the International Space Station (ISS), and as a “space harbor” for the ISS crew in case of emergency. The CSS will be located within a distance of 100km from the ISS at an orbit inclination of 51.6 degrees. This would allow expenses to be minimized for delivering crews and cargo from one station to another, and would improve the potential for cooperation in commercial use.

The CSS can also be used as an intermediate point for manned space flights beyond near-earth orbits.

With the Commercial Space Station, Orbital Technologies plans to make space accessible to private entrepreneurs.